Residents who can’t extricate their cars from ice and snow on neighborhood streets don’t have to worry about getting towed.

County officials Monday night suspended the rule, imposed during the snow emergency, that requires those cars to be moved to make it easier for snowplows to do their jobs.

The county declared a snow emergency, which is still in effect, on Saturday. It mandated that residents get their cars off residential streets — and into driveways or garages — whenever possible. Those who have to park on the street during a snow emergency are usually required to move their cars from one side of the street to the other on designated days.

The county initially asked residents to move their cars to the side of the street with odd-numbered addresses by 7 a.m. Tuesday.

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But officials lifted that rule, recognizing that many residents were struggling to free their cars.

“We realized with this storm, it’s not your typical storm, because everything turned to ice,” county spokeswoman Mary Anderson said.

There are some exceptions. Cars parked near hydrants or on snow emergency routes will still be towed.

But otherwise snowed-in cars will not be towed during or after the snow emergency, Anderson said.

County officials expect to lift the snow emergency on Thursday morning.

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Also on Tuesday, Montgomery County Public Schools announced they will remain closed at least through Thursday. An announcement about whether schools will open on Friday is expected to be made by 4 p.m. Thursday.

Also within the county:

  • County park facilities will open on Wednesday, including ice rinks and nature centers.
  • The city of Rockville announced Tuesday its government is reopening Wednesday.
  • The city of Gaithersburg announced that City Hall will reopen on Wednesday after heating issues kept it closed on Tuesday. The city’s government otherwise reopened on Tuesday.
  • Takoma Park’s city offices and facilities remained closed on Tuesday. No announcement has been made by late Tuesday afternoon as to whether city government would reopen on Wednesday as of Tuesday afternoon.